The Homeland Security Dept.'s inspector general blames "wasteful or inappropriate decision-making" at the Transportation Security Administration for lavish spending on artworks, decorative furnishings and $3,000 refrigerators, at the $19-million Transportation Security Operations Center in Herndon, Va. The building, which also houses a Federal Air Marshal Service facility, has 55 offices, more than 150 workstations, 12 conference rooms, seven kitchens and a fitness center for 79 federal workers and 57 contract employees.
The U.S. Transportation Dept. made final its selection of Ryan International Airlines to serve the Milwaukee-Cancun market in competition with Northwest Airlines. USA 3000 Airlines also applied for authority and the department had to make a choice because no more than two U.S. airlines can serve any given U.S.-Mexico city-pair. Ryan, which has operated Milwaukee-Cancun charters but has never flown scheduled service in Mexico, plans seasonal service next winter of four flights per week using 183-seat Boeing 737s, starting in November with two flights per week.
Eclipse Aviation last week completed engine nacelle icing tests for its Eclipse 500 very light jet. The program, conducted with Canada's National Research Council Institute for Aerospace Research (NRC Aerospace) in Ottawa, centered on icing tests of the nacelle itself as well as the engine/nacelle combination as required for certification, which is planned for 2006. The Eclipse 500 is powered by two Pratt & Whitney Canada PW610s. Pratt had conducted a series of icing tests on the PW610 at NRC Aerospace in February.
Helicopter maker Kamov has signed a contract with Rolls-Royce to take delivery of 24 Model 250-C20R/2(SR) turboshaft engines later this year. The engines are to power twin-rotor Ka-226s ordered by Gazprom and the Russian Civil Defense Ministry.
Frank Parrella (see photos) has become director of operations, Thomas Mancuso director of maintenance and Ken Siegel director of human resources, all for Avantair, Fairfield, N.J. Parrella was a captain for American Eagle. Mancuso was director of maintenance at Mac Dan Aviation, while Siegel has been a corporate human resources executive.
Thales and CalAmp Corp. are teaming to expand the capabilities of Thales' TopSeries inflight entertainment system, which is available on Boeing and Airbus aircraft including the A380. CalAmp will support Thales with studies, design and testing of software applications.
When Boeing and Airbus come together to conduct flight demonstrations of advanced air traffic control operations, it sets an example for the cooperation needed to avoid gridlock in Europe and the U.S. over the next 20 years. The American/European/Australian team that made the tailored-arrival flight trials happen at Sydney and Melbourne over a six-month period last year signifies that many organizations see cooperation as the path to the future.
While celebrating delivery of the first F/A-18E/Fs equipped with the APG-79--which has the resolution to spot and target stealth cruise missiles--Boeing and Navy officials said Switzerland, Japan and India are looking at the advanced fighter. Boeing officials said they are proposing a $53- million variant for export.
The new China-Canadian bilateral will allow the two countries "to realize tremendous opportunities for growth" in passenger and freight air transport, says Air Canada President Montie Brewer. The new pact, which was concluded Apr. 19, triples the number of passenger and cargo services now permitted as well as increases city-pairs and code-shares, According to Canada's International Trade and Transport Ministries, the agreement also includes "strong" security and safety provisions, although they were not defined.
NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center is testing solar sail deployment and structural support concepts through July, using advanced inflatable and lightweight materials technologies from two companies. The tests will be conducted in a vacuum chamber at the Plumb Brook Station in Sandusky, Ohio, which is part of Glenn Research Center. Solar sails would use the flow of photons from the Sun to accelerate future deep-space payloads without any other propellant. Both designs would use sails up to 66 ft. wide.
A strong second quarter following a healthy first quarter has improved Nav Canada's financial position and restored a positive balance in its rate stabilization account for the first time in three years. Revenues in the second quarter rose C$30 million ($24.2 million) to C$259 million ($209 million), compared with the same quarter a year ago. A 7.9% increase in customer service charges, implemented last September, and a 5.2% increase in air traffic, account for the increase. Expenses rose due to higher pension and compensation levels from C$188 million to C$207 million.
Governments must "rethink the way they tax the industry and give us the freedom to run our businesses as businesses." So says International Air Transport Assn. Director General Giovanni Bisignani in an address to the 54th Pacific Asia Travel Assn. annual conference in Macau. Bisignani says airports now constructing dedicated low-cost terminals must be open to all carriers to ensure fair competition because legacy airlines deserve the same opportunities to cut costs.
The exhaust nozzle for the LE-7A first-stage engine on the Mitsubishi H-IIA space launch vehicle will be lengthened to 2 meters (6.5 ft.) for its next mission in September, which is to loft the Advanced Land Observation Satellite (ALOS). The nozzle is now 1.5 meters long, and the Japanese space agency JAXA says lengthening it will increase payload lift from 3,900 kg. (8,600 lb.) to 4,000 kg. for a polar-orbit insertion. About 10 burn tests are scheduled beginning in May.
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The chairman of the Senate aviation subcommittee says it's time to get tough with the European Union over launch-aid subsidies to Airbus. It's time to "quit talking and to make a decision on this issue. Airbus is not backing off," says Sen. Conrad Burns (R-Mont.). Burns says he doesn't want to get into a trade war, "but I can tell you this, this market is pretty important to Airbus." And if trade reps reach an impasse? "Then we'll have to do the same thing we've done in any other trade disputes; in other words, there has to be countervailing duties or whatever."
In 1975, Boris Popov was flying his hang glider when the wing suddenly collapsed. As he fell toward the ground 400 ft. below, Popov remembers being angry at his inability to do anything about the situation. Seven years later, he founded Ballistic Recovery Systems to develop products aimed at the emerging market for ultralight aircraft. In 1993, BRS was issued the first FAA approval to install a ballistic parachute in a certified airplane.
Whether your crystal ball tells you the defense market is going into decline or simply experiencing a decelerating rate of growth, it is clear that the next wave in the defense industry cycle is upon us.
Air Force Vice Chief of Staff Gen. Michael Moseley is seen as the top candidate to succeed Chief of Staff Gen. John Jumper. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld is believed to have made his choice weeks ago. Picking Moseley would fit Rumsfeld's pattern of promoting leading officers from the Iraq war. Moseley ran the air war during that operation. Retired Air Force Gen. Ed Eberhart is also considered a potential candidate; Eberhart most recently was the first chief of U.S. Northern Command, which was established after Sept. 11, 2001, to guard against attacks on U.S. soil.
Saab has begun flight tests of its Bol chaff-and-flare countermeasures system on Australian air force F/A-18s. The trials are slated to lead to an order to improve the fighter's protection against radar and infrared-guided missiles. The dispenser holds 160 self-protection cartridges. The wing-mounted dispenser uses the vortices to disperse the countermeasures. It's the first F/A-18 application of the system, already in use on F-14s, F-15s, Harriers, Tornadoes, Gripens and Typhoons. U.S.
Aerospace and defense companies posted double-digit profits during the quarter ended Mar. 31. General Dynamics' net earnings rose 25% from a year earlier to $336 million, but came in lower than Wall Street had anticipated because of weaker than expected sales in information systems and combat systems. Revenue rose 4% from a year earlier to $4.8 billion. United Technologies Corp. announced net income of $651 million, an 18% rise, on revenue of $9.4 billion, a 9% rise. Honeywell announced net income of $359 million, a 22% rise, on revenues of $6.5 billion, a 4% increase.
EADS officials are gradually putting into place the final elements of their bid for the U.S. Army's future cargo aircraft, with a decision to be made soon on which transport to offer and what industrial partnerships to establish.
The Indian air force will add another 125 MiG-21 Bisons to its avionics upgrade list this year, continuing an effort begun last year on 125 aircraft. Some 75 have been completed. Additionally, the air force is expected to seek tenders this year for simulators to improve pilot training. Human error has been cited as the cause of 45% of India's MiG-21 accidents, which began a sharp upturn a few years ago, although leveled off last year.
Jahid Fazal-Karim has been appointed senior vice president-new aircraft sales and Saul Arceo as Dallas-based director of new aircraft sales for Bombardier Business Aircraft. Fazal-Karim was vice president-international sales.
